Great Recruiters: Your Dream Job Gateway

Here are four great reasons why you should network with Recruiters AND?a step-by-step guide on how to do it with style.?

1. Draw more eyeballs to your LinkedIn profile passively.?

Recruiters are usually connected to thousands of people. Becoming first connections with them on LinkedIn increases your visibility by second connections exponentially. Like a ripple effect, once you connect with someone who’s much more well connected than you, you benefit from exposure to all of their connections.?

2. They know the market and how much everyone makes.

A good recruiter is an ally, trusted and respected by many, many people. They have hundreds of conversations about job opportunities and salary expectations on a weekly basis. They’ve collected data points for years on what people are earning and what the market is paying. Build connections with great recruiters and you build leverage for better earning power.?

3. Hot list vs. Black list.?

When you speak with a Recruiter, they document key parts of that conversation in a database that is accessible to others at their company. If you make a good impression, and have skills that are in demand, they will make a note on your profile and tag you for key opportunities in the future. Don’t sleep on the value of that convo. If you make a bad impression, that will also be noted on your profile, and you can all but guarantee you’ll never get a job through that company down the road.?

4. Their Network can impact your Net Worth.?

Great Recruiters have an ear to the ground and a finger on the pulse of the hiring market. Not only can they make introductions for you to people who are clients, they can also introduce you to previous candidates in a hiring position - even if they’re not current clients.?

Even more exciting, they often hear about opportunities that are never posted online. And, they have inside info on company culture, work/life balance, benefits and growth opportunities.?

Ok, so you have a few reasons WHY you should connect with Recruiters.?

Follow this framework to connect with FINESSE!

Recruiters connect with people for a living. They make money when you get a job (and stay there for a period of time) so they want to connect with talented people.?

But, they don’t like being pitch-slapped, AKA being spammed with resumes from people they don’t know for roles they’re not working on.?

Here are the steps to make great connections with impact.??

1. Seek out Recruiters who specialize in your area of expertise.??
2. Send them a connection request like this:

(They are a 2nd Connection)

“Hi Sarah, we’re mutually connected via Alex. Just thought I’d see if you’d network with me too. Perhaps I can be a resource for a friend or colleague at some point.”

(They are a 3rd Connection)

“Hi Sarah, I see you specialize in X area. I bring a ton of expertise in that space and I bet we know some of the same people. Perhaps I can be a resource for a friend or colleague at some point.”?

3. Post connection request acceptance, wait 48 hours. Then email them and thank them for the connection. Consider inviting them to a virtual coffee.?Say this:

“Thank you for the connection! Please let me know if you’d be up for a virtual coffee sometime.”

NOTE: You will likely send a ton of coffee invites that go unaccepted. Don’t let those numbers bother you. Invitations work like a flywheel. Connecting is a lot of work up front, but once you have a few key relationships going, activity increases and networking gets so much easier.

4. Don’t make it about you. Once they accept the invite and you schedule the video or in person meeting, treat that session like an all-about-them discovery call. Ask open ended questions using What? and How? as much as possible.?

A few examples:

“What do you like about X company? How did you land that role in the first place? What made you choose that career path?”

NOTE: Your goal in any conversation with a great Recruiter is to be liked and remembered. Obviously Recruiters interview people for a living, but people rarely ask them about themselves. Being liked by a great Recruiter can open doors to hidden opportunities that are never posted online. Don’t forget that people like those who let them talk. Get likable and get leverage.

5. Ask if you can send them your resume for future reference, then send it and thank them for their time.

BONUS: Once you know the kinds of roles they work on and the ideal candidates they seek, introduce them to a couple smart people in your network. Great Recruiters LOOOOVE a good referral, and that kind of good will goes a long way. It may even be noted on your profile for other Recruiters to see in the database.?

If you’ve made it this far, congratulations! You’re equipped with the info to make great connections with great Recruiters.

But, this whole thing might feel foreign and you might not want to go it alone.

If that’s you, let’s talk.?

Shoot me a DM and let's sync up for a free Discovery Call. And, if you found this article useful please share! ?